This Water Treatment Facility is Functional and Visually Stunning

Water treatment facilities are never usually known for their architectural prowess, but this beautifully designed water treatment facility has a grassy fin roof and looks like a sculptural masterpiece.

The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant is located in Portland, Oregon, and was originally built in 1950 but recently created new office facilities designed by Skylab Architecture.

The new single-storey building has a green roof to collect rainwater via seven concrete fins—which feature an integrated collection system that take the collected water to the Columbia Slough waterway—and a curved structure designed in a way to trace the sunlight.

"Inspired by the native landscape and its industrial past, the building is an elegant combination of landform, indigenous planting, formal geometry, and durable construction systems that support staff and the public interface," says the architect.